Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Military Life and Issues
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
Old 07-11-2017, 08:00 PM
 
1 posts, read 2,699 times
Reputation: 20

Advertisements

Anyone here live in the Aitana hotel in 1969 in Madrid before finding permanent housing. We lived there for 80 days before moving to a nice townhouse with pool in Canillejas outside of Madrid. My brothers attended Royal Oaks while I attended school at Torrejon Air Force Base. I have wondered where people are today that we knew. We were there from 1969-71. I was a Cub Scout during that time and remember out pack meetings took place at the US Embassy in Madrid. A lot of great memories from our time living there. We also watched the moon landing at a Spanish neighbors at like 2:30am since we were without a tv the whole time there.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 08-08-2017, 08:26 PM
 
7 posts, read 12,441 times
Reputation: 20
I was there in 1968, section 8-6 Torrejon jr. high. I lived at 145 Royal Oaks, if I remember correctly.
There was a bullfighter named Manolete who had a white streak in the center of his black hair and one night while my mom was bleaching hers I kiddingly asked her to give me a streak. Surprisingly she said o.k. and I became known as "the kid with the blonde streak". Not an interesting story, but
I thought it might spark someone's memory. Even at age 63 I can remember Spain like it was yesterday. I became an art major in college and continually reminded my dad he never took us to the Prado. The running joke in the art department was " hey kids, there's the Prado, who wants burgers?"
I remember so many names and faces I wouldn't know where to start. Catpare I remember you. Even went to your birthday party. Hope to hear from anyone who might remember me.
Greg Rodriguez
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-14-2017, 05:46 PM
 
1 posts, read 2,560 times
Reputation: 15
Does anyone remember the gypsy camp near the school? We were told to stay away, but of course, we didn't. I remember walking along a field and cutting through the gypsy camp to get to school. On weekends we would walk to the theater with a big bag of popcorn mom made (to save a few pesetas!). We were there 1976-77, when I was 6 and 7. I won't let my 7 yo cross the street by herself these days, but back then it was perfectly acceptable for us to wander off for hours! Great, albeit now faded, memories of that place.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-14-2017, 10:11 PM
 
7 posts, read 12,441 times
Reputation: 20
I have, for some reason, (thanks to mother internet, Paul May(or whomever) and the fact that I have lots of spare time on my hands),been thinking about my one year in Madrid a lot lately. I was not a typical military brat & the only other tour I did overseas or anywhere was Germany at the age of 3, so I have 0 memory of that experience. That fascinating tidbit, coupled with the fact that I hated high school and have somehow found a way to delete those years from my memory, has left open a longing to re-live those days that were some of the best in my life. Granted, it was culture shock at first, living most of my life in a small town connected to Ft. Benning, GA, and attending a VERY small Catholic school. I was not prepared for the wildness of Bus 39, and soon realized that if I didn't change buses soon I was about 3rd in line for a welcome ceremony that included a pink belly.
Anyhow, I made friends fast, but one year was just not enough to take in everything that Spain had to offer. I will forego all the reminiscing about the pool, teen club, movie theater complex, etc. for I think we all have those memories intact.
I will say that I'm surprised that in all the web sites that I've perused pertaining to this subject, I've not once seen anyone reference the Beatle concert at either the Plaza de Toros or the Stadium in 1965. My dad was there, having deployed 2 years before the rest of us & despite having the best seat in the house, took the WORST polaroids ever (well,shake it up baby,now). Get it?
In closing, I would like to thank the Spanish gentleman who worked in the record shop at the BX, for stapling my receipt THROUGH the one and only copy of "The Letter" by the Boxtops.
Also, anyone who can tell me what I missed by leaving in 1968, and give me the "dirt" on what would have been my first year of high school, you can email me at gregr34@gmail.com.
Thanks for listening,
Greg Rodriguez 1967-68
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-22-2017, 06:26 PM
 
3 posts, read 4,842 times
Reputation: 15
Default I was at Torrejon High School, too.

Hi there! I graduated from Torrejon High School in 1988. I was part of the last graduating class, I believe. I remember Royal Oaks. It was a beautiful school and I quite enjoyed it. I stayed at the dormitory on the base. I was a "dormie". There were "dormies" (students to lived at the dorm) and "day-sies" (students who didn't live at the dorm). There were some wonderful teachers there!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-22-2017, 06:32 PM
 
3 posts, read 4,842 times
Reputation: 15
I lived at the dorm at the school. My roommate and I hitch hiked to the gypsy camp one day to ride horses. Remember the hitch hiking benches on the base? They were covered to hikers wouldn't get rained on. That was my first experience riding a horse. It cost 1000 pesetas for an hour. I did fine until a big group gallopped by. The horses were retired from the circus and were trained to synchronize. If one horse gallopped, they ALL gallopped. As an inexperienced rider, this became a scary experience for me! I finally got my mare calmed down. Then at the end of the trail, she had to gallop up a big hill! I started off sitting upright. By the time she got to the top of the hill, I was sliding off sideways, with my feet planted in the stirrups to keep me on. Ha ha! I was scared, but I loved it when the horses were just walking. Years later, I learned that I had to hang on with my LEGS. LOL. I guess I was a slow learner, not having much experience with horses.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-07-2017, 10:10 PM
 
1 posts, read 2,320 times
Reputation: 15
My family was stationed in Madrid from 75-78 I had Ms. Markel and my 5th grade teacher was Mr. Walden and he also made us save all of our 5th grade work and it was bounded into a hardback book. This is so crazy to hear someone talking about a place that brought so many memories to my childhood. I think we may have missed each other. I went by Lynn Wilson at the time.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-14-2017, 01:56 PM
 
Location: Madrid
3 posts, read 3,813 times
Reputation: 20
Hello! I am an American living in Madrid, 15 minutes from Encinar de los Reyes, part of La Moraleja. Recently we were there looking to rent a house. It has been very well conserved and a very beautiful area.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 10-26-2017, 02:21 PM
 
1 posts, read 2,146 times
Reputation: 15
Stationed there from 1991 - 1994. Part of Base Closure Team. Base Supply Closure Team Chief. Also, their is a TJ Reunion every 2 years. Rotates Stateside and Spain. This year was in Spain.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-20-2017, 01:04 AM
 
7 posts, read 12,441 times
Reputation: 20
Well, dad gum it, I was just nearing the end of a verrrrry long post that played heck with my poor arthritic fingers when my iPad fell over in my lap and somehow it vanished. Trust me it was a post that would have brought tears to Hemingway’s eyes (for 1 reason or another). Oh well, I’ll try again tomorrow. Viva ROAKS!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Military Life and Issues
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top